The wind wasn't howling anymore. But I could still hear it.
Maybe it had gotten inside me somehow. Crawled into my bones. Set up camp behind my ribs. Because even here, surrounded by heated walls, ambient mana, and the soft scent of toasted bread wafting in from the academy kitchens, I still felt the chill. Not the cold of the room, but the cold that stayed inside me after the Trial. The cold no fire could warm.
"You gonna stand there all day like a haunted statue, or are you actually alive?"
Ravo again. Elbowing me in the ribs as he walked by, holding a chunk of buttered mana-bread in one hand and a floating spell-scroll in the other. Somehow chewing and levitating at the same time.
"Barely," I muttered.
He raised an eyebrow. "Well, at least you didn't fall asleep in Practical Magic again. Professor Lumina's still sore you melted her practice rune circles."
That hadn't even been my fault. Mostly.
I let him talk while we walked the path toward the Spell Atrium. My mind wasn't really listening. Every face I passed, every familiar laugh, every sparkle of spelllight across a dorm spire—it all looked the same. But I didn't feel the same. The Trial hadn't just been survival. It had shifted something inside me.
I kept checking my hand, half expecting frostbite. Or maybe a scar from the Frostfang.
Nothing.
But the System hadn't left me either.
[Status: Synced][Passive Skill: Cold Breath of the Wind - Active]
I pulled out my system interface with a quick thought, the familiar translucent screen flickering into view before my eyes.
[System Interface Activated]Name: AltoLevel: 7Strength: 65Endurance: 70Agility: 75Willpower: 80Survival Skill: 68Cold Resistance: 40Hunger: 35%Hypothermia Risk: Medium
Skills:
Cold Breath of the Wind (Passive) — Active
Survival Instinct (Passive) — Active
Basic Fire Magic (Active) — Level 3
Windstep (Active) — Level 1 (A skill that enhances agility and allows brief bursts of swift movement, useful for evading attacks or crossing difficult terrain)
Seeing the numbers laid out like that made it real. The Trial had changed me—not just physically, but in ways I was only beginning to understand.
I let the interface fade away and tucked the image deep in my mind. There was still a long way to go.
"So," Ravo said casually, "you gonna tell me what girl finally broke you, or do I have to guess?"
I blinked. "Huh?"
"You got that 'I saw death and she asked me to dinner' face."
I snorted. First honest laugh in a while. "No girls. Just... had a rough dream."
"Damn. Must've been some dream. You looked like you'd been out hunting thunderwolves."
Thunderwolves. Right. Compared to a Frostfang, those were basically overgrown sheep.
We reached the atrium. A colossal dome of glass and spellsteel, thrumming with layered enchantments and filled with students practicing basic projectile spells or defensive shields. The air shimmered with contained mana bursts and faint ozone.
The building itself was a marvel—transparent walls revealing swirling arcane glyphs etched in the very glass. High above, the sun filtered in through crystal lenses that refracted the light into a kaleidoscope of colors.
"Hey Alto," someone called. I waved without turning.
"Yo, Ice Prince!" someone else called out with a smirk.
Okay, that one got a turn and a glare.
Apparently, my last duel had gotten attention. It must've happened right after I returned from the Trial—though I barely remembered it. Guess blacking out and freezing your opponent mid-sneeze with a newly gained passive ability tends to make the rounds.
"Alright," Ravo said, clapping his hands, "bet you five mana chits Professor Lumina roasts you in the first ten minutes."
"You're on."
Class passed in a blur of motion. Lumina did, in fact, roast me—not with magic, but with a pop quiz about elemental flow theory. I may or may not have answered with metaphors involving angry goats. Somehow it worked.
After class, we wandered toward the campus plaza. Wide bridges arced between towers, lined with glowing crystal lanterns. Students practiced flying spells or summoned snack familiars from enchanted vending glyphs. The city beyond the academy shimmered with spires, sky rails, and roaming elemental beasts in uniformed patrols.
The cool breeze carried scents of spiced pastries and fresh pine from the surrounding mana-infused gardens. The Academy was a living pulse, humming with energy, its magic woven into every brick and beam.
We walked a bit farther, past the elemental gardens. A massive stone statue of the Founder loomed over a plaza ringed by trees that glowed faintly with seasonal enchantments.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of someone walking toward us—a girl with sharp, focused eyes and a steady stride that made her stand out even in a crowd. She wore the crimson cloak of the Elite Spellcasters' Academy with casual ease, like she belonged here.
Her dark hair was pulled back into a practical braid, strands escaping to frame a face that was calm but intense. There was something about her that made people take notice without her even trying.
"Hey, Alto," she called with a smirk, her voice carrying just enough amusement. "I heard about your last duel. Ice Prince, huh? Not bad for a rookie."
Ravo nudged me, grinning. "See? You've already got a fan club."
I cleared my throat, trying to hide the heat creeping up my neck. "Guess luck's on my side."
She laughed lightly. "Don't sell yourself short. You've got potential. But don't think you can slack off now."
"Wouldn't dream of it," I said, trying to sound confident.
She gave me a sharp look, one that said she'd be watching. "Good. The academy's no place for the weak."
As she turned and walked away, I felt the usual weird mix of motivation and pressure settle in my chest. Looks like I'd have to step up my game.
I caught a shimmer in the air.
[New Objective Available.][Trial Realm Access: Locked — Requirements Not Met.]
Just before it vanished, another line flickered beneath it—barely a whisper in the interface:
[You are not alone in the Trials.]
I blinked, but it was already gone.
It disappeared as quickly as it came.
Good.
I wasn't ready to go back.
Not yet.